Jo Cohen Page 1
The main producers in the oceanic environment are unicellular algae called diatoms. They contribute significantly to the global carbon cycle by generating 20% of the planet’s oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from the environment (Stevenson and Bahls, 1999). Additionally, their organic material descends to the ocean bottom, helping to sequester carbon. Diatoms are the primary marine food supply for a broad range of marine organisms, including zooplankton, fish, and whales. They also constitute the foundation of the marine food chain. Along with discharging silica into the water, they are also in charge of fixing nitrogen. Diatoms play a critical role in maintaining the marine food chain, regulating the temperature of the planet, and maintaining the ocean’s nutrient cycle (Stevenson and Bahls, 1999).
Due to its rapid growth, simplicity of cultivation, and high biomass production, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, a unicellular diatom found in marine environments, has been the subject of significant research. It might be used in biotechnology for things like the creation of biofuels, the production of fatty acids, and the elimination of heavy metals from sewage. Because of the bioactive compounds it generates, it is also used in the manufacturing of medicines and nutraceuticals. Phaeodactylum tricornutum is also frequently used as a model organism in research projects looking into the molecular processes underpinning diatom physiology and ecology. Its distinct metabolic processes and gene expression patterns have helped to create new biotechnological uses (Borowitzka, 2018).
For these reasons, Phaeodactylum tricornutum makes an excellent model organism for research on cytotoxicity. It is simple to culture in a lab environment and is not toxic or pathogenic. Given its small genome size, P. tricornutum’s genetic material is simpler to sequence and study. Its sensitivity to cytotoxic substances, such as heavy metals and organic pollutants, makes it a valuable organism for research on the toxicity of various chemicals and their effects on marine organisms. P. tricornutum is frequently used to evaluate the toxicity of nanoparticles and new pollutants, offering insightful information about the possible risks that different substances may pose to the ecosystem and its inhabitants (Rogato et al., 2019).
Personal protective equipment (PPE) use has significantly increased due to COVID-19 pandemic, which has harmed marine ecosystems. PPE items that are not biodegradable, such as masks, have been improperly disposed of and have wound up in the water, harming marine life that mistakenly consumes them or becomes entangled. These substances can harm marine life by changing hormone levels and resulting in genetic mutations (Silva et al., 2021). They can change the ocean’s natural microbiome, upsetting the harmony of marine habitats. The effects of plastic pollution and the necessity of appropriate waste disposal should be made more widely known. Marine ecosystem contamination can be decreased by promoting sustainable behaviors and finding substitutes for the use of single-use plastics and chemical disinfectants. The COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes how crucial it is to give responsible waste management procedures top priority in order to protect the well-being of marine environments. Researchers are working to show how discarded face masks damage the ecosystem. They hope to demonstrate how improper PPE disposal can result in entanglement or ingestion by marine creatures, which can cause internal damage. In order to reduce plastic waste and pollution in marine ecosystems, the research stresses the significance of properly discarding all PPE (Silva et al., 2021).
To assess the toxicity of chemicals in P. tricornutum, biomedical tests are utilized. In these tests, the diatoms are exposed to various doses of the test material, and then their growth rate, photosynthetic activity, and other physiological characteristics are recorded. P. tricornutum must be prepared for use in research investigations as a research model. This may entail cultivating the diatoms in a proper growth medium, managing the environmental factors, and picking the right stage of the diatoms’ development. In order to study certain metabolic pathways or genes, genetically engineered P. tricornutum strains are also being used in research on a regular basis (Sendra, 2022). Overall, a variety of methodologies and procedures, including biological tests and model preparations, are used to study cytotoxicity using P. tricornutum as a model organism. With the use of these methods, researchers may better comprehend the possible impacts of different compounds on marine ecosystems and create plans to lessen such effects (Jiaji, 2021).
In the article “Products released from surgical face masks can provoke cytotoxicity in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum” they came across some major findings. In the study, it was shown that the cytotoxicity increases with longer exposure times and higher concentrations of the mask extracts. Other findings showed that an extract from a surgical face mask can cause cytotoxicity in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Sendra,2022). Finally, the research that was given suggests the disposal of large numbers of surgical face masks could have negative impacts on marine ecosystems in areas with high levels of waste. With these in mind, it is seen that the research sheds light on the potential environmental risks that are occurring from COVID-19 and the impact of surgical facemasks. The research highlights the fact that these negative effects can affect us for generations and suggests that we quickly fix this problem. PPE should be more disposable and have methods of disposal that will prevent potential harm to marine ecosystems. (Sendra, 2022)
In Figure three, the research shows that it provides important evidence on the cytotoxic effects of water from PPE on marine diatoms. Figure 3 shows the percentage of intracellular ROS in the diatom cells after exposure to mask water samples for 24, 48, and 72 hours. With more time, more ROS production was seen. With that increase, it is seen that the water from fragments of the masks has a higher increase than that of the whole mask. Whereas P. tricornutum cells show a significant decrease in cell density with increased exposure to the mask fragments (Sendra, 2022).
Future applications can be extended to assessing the potential cytotoxic effects of other types of face masks. Methodologies can be applied to study the environmental impacts of more than just masks but of all PPE, i.e., gloves, gowns, and face shields (Sousa, 2023). Overall, these methods can be used to study other environmental toxicities. Providing a useful tool that can potentially have impacts on all forms of pollutants and promote sustainable practices for consumer products (Sendra, 2022). In conclusion, this research on the cytotoxic effects of masks on marine diatoms has important implications. Using this information and the methodology used in this area can be applied to assess the environmental impacts of other types and can teach others of how to properly dispose of PPE and other products.
Work Cited
Rogato A, Del Prete S, Nocentini A, Carginale V, Supuran CT, Capasso C. Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a model organism for testing the membrane penetrability of sulphonamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem. 2019 Dec;34(1):510-518. doi: 10.1080/14756366.2018.1559840
Patrício Silva, Ana L., et al. . ” Risks of Covid-19 face masks to wildlife: Present and future research needs ” Science of The Total Environment, vol. 792, no. 2021, 148505 , https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148505.
Sun, Jiaji, et al.. ” Release of Microplastics from Discarded Surgical Masks and Their Adverse Impacts on the Marine Copepod <i>Tigriopus japonicus</i> ” Environmental Science & Technology Letters , vol. 8 , no. 12 , 2021 , pp. 1065-1070 , https://doi.org/ 10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00748 .
Marta Sendra, et al. “NCBI – WWW Error Blocked Diagnostic” Products released from surgical face masks can provoke cytotoxicity in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, 2022 Oct 1, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35691357/.